It was my tenth birthday, and I finally got the puppy that I always wanted. My mother warned me that I was responsible for it. But I believe that secretly, she was happy that I finally had someone to play with.

Later that evening, we had plans to go to the zoo where they were opening up the new penguin exhibit. I was just a little worried that the big blender convention in town was going to make things too crowded. But mother said that the only worry we would have is if the town's hoboes were forced out of the park where they normally stayed. Then they sometimes would hang out at the zoo...